Social Action promotes youthadvocacy and empowerment,encourages communityparticipation and shares thesame values as volunteering.This toolkit has been created to give youth workers,practitioners and leaders the ability to deliver social actionprojects with the group of young people they work with.

Social Action Introduction 4

Volunteering, Social Action and Issues 5

CRED and Issues Discussion 6

Pitch and Project 7

Roles and Responsibilities 8

Planning and Preparation 9

Social Action Happens 10

Evaluation and Celebration 11

Contents

Social Action promotes youth advocacy and empowerment, encourages communityparticipation and shares the same values as volunteering. It is activities and actionthat young people plan and take part in to make a positive difference. This can bedone in a variety of ways, such as fundraising, volunteering and carrying out awarenesscampaigns.

Social action can challenge opinions in a fun and relaxed environment, allowing youngpeople to learn about different cultures, communities and social justice issues in theworld. Young people have the power to be make a positive impact within their life andcommunity and this toolkit should enable them to do so. Social action allows youngpeople to take small steps to make a big difference and they can do this for a variety ofcauses.

Young people will develop leadership skills which will allow them to become leaderswithin their community/organisation who have compassion, empathy and the skills tomake a difference. Young people will develop character, confidence, a variety of skillsand gain valuable experience that they can use in their future. Organisations and thecommunity will benefit as a result of the project because of the knowledge and impactof the young people involved.

The #iWill campaign (https://www.iwill.org.uk/about-us/youth-social-action) believethat “All young people should be supported and empowered to be active citizens.”That is why they believe that social action should have the following principlesembedded in every project:

This toolkit has been created to give youth workers, practitioners and leaders theability to deliver social action projects with the group of young people they work with.

Social Action Introduction

4 Social Action Toolkit

Welcome to the next eight-twelve weeks of social action. If the group know each otherthen they can focus on why they want to be involved. If they do not know each other,spend more time getting them to introduce themselves, who they are, what they enjoyand why they are involved in social action. General conversations as they arrive will helpthem to settle.

Icebreakers: Doing some games will help the group get to know one another andfeel more comfortable with each other. Use icebreakers that you already know, lookonline for some that you can use, play board games or contact us atyouth@volunteernow.co.uk for some ideas.

Group Contract:Respect Participation EmpathyBefore the group puts the contract together, focus on the three words in red. Start theconversations with open ended questions to see their understanding of each word. Thegroup contract can now be created. To give you an example of what could be included:

• Confidentiality amongst the group• Teamwork• Everyone has a voice

Once the contract has been created, everyone should sign it (including the youth worker).

Volunteering and Social Action:“Volunteering is when you choose to give your time and energy to benefit other peoplewithout being paid for it.” (NI Volunteer Strategy).

“Social Action is a youth led project that enables young people to take the lead with the aimto make a positive contribution to their community about a social issue that impacts youngpeople and their community.” (Volunteer Now).

“Social Action is activities that young people do to make a positive difference to others orthe environment.” (#iWill Campaign through Step Up to Serve, https://www.iwill.org.uk/).

Facilitating a discussion using the definitions above will give young people the opportunityto explore the two ideas. This should naturally lead into discussions about helping thecommunity and perhaps how they have done so already. It will also lead into some issuesto explore.

Issues:Leading on from the above discussion, it is time to start thinking about the issues for thesocial action project.

“What issues do you think young people face today?”

This question will open up discussions and it will allow young people to begin exploringthe issues that they or others face. Let the conversation flow naturally but in the nextsession, the group can explore the issues further and narrow down their choices.Encourage the group to take ownership of their learning for the next session and read orwatch the news, keep up to date on social media and do some research so that they aremore informed.

Week 1

Volunteering, Social Actions and Issues

Social Action Toolkit 5

6 Social Action Toolkit

The main aim of session two will be on Community Relations, Equality and Diversity(CRED) as well as the issues that were discussed in session one.

Sessions on CRED can be sourced externally, you may already have your ownresources that can be used. Please also feel free to contact youth@volunteernow.co.ukfor more ideas for a CRED session. The main aim of CRED within this session is toexplore the different backgrounds that they may come from (or others come from),but that they are still able to work together to make an impact within their community.

Just as you are beginning to explore the issues from the last session, it is important toremind the group of their contract from session one. Some of the issues could havehad an impact on members of the group and it is important that the group respecteach other. Go through each of the topics and start discussions by asking what theyalready knew and then what they researched during the week. If the worker found outsome information, this could be used to start a debate. For example, a group weworked with were focussing on image for young people and some of the researchstated that some young people thought that their image was more important thantheir health. An agree/disagree debate was used to explore why some people mightthink this. It allowed them to learn from other point of views, as well as lean on theirown experience of the issues.

Once this conversation has come to a natural end, it is time to narrow down thechoices to three (maximum). When agreeing what topics should be considered, it isimportant for the group to consider:

• How is the group going to vote? • How will the results be decided? Will the issues need to have a majority or should

they be unanimous?• If the group decides on three, could they explore some of the issues or

incorporate them in anyway?

Once the group narrows down their choices to three, the youth worker can start toconsider which organisations they can bring in for the next session. As this projectbelongs to the group of young people, if they know of any groups that could come in,make sure they are considered for the next session.

Week 2

CRED and Issues Discussion

Social Action Toolkit 7

Whether an organisation comes in to work with the group is optional, depending on theneeds of the group. However, it is recommended that even if they aren’t going to part-ner with them they can facilitate a session to learn more about their three subjects. Ifthey decide not to partner with an organisation, they will still have more information andwill be able to make a more formed decision.

Pitch and Partner: The three organisations can attend this session to talk to the group about their topic, togive them some more information as well as provide a mini workshop if this is somethingthat would be of interest to them. They can also come in to pitch their organisation tothe group. Give them an allocated time slot of twenty or thirty minutes each where theycan cover the following:

• Introduction to the organisation and topic.• How the group can partner with them – fundraiser, create hampers, social media

campaign and more.• Questions from the group – ask questions that will enhance their project.

Once each organisation has spoken, they can leave as the group now needs to maketheir decision and they can contact the organisations when needed. In session two thegroup agreed on how they were going to vote (majority or unanimous) and this can beused for this decision as well. They may want to vote by:

• A show of hands• Having a debate about their decision• Putting their vote in a hat• OtherFirstly, the group need to decide on which issue their social action project is going tofocus on. The information and pitches from the organisation may have helped them intheir decision. Secondly, the group should now decide whether or not they are going topartner with the organisation of their chosen topic. If they are going to partner withthem, allow the young person to contact them through a phone call or email to let themknow. If not, they can still let them know that they decided not to work with any of them.

Project: Now that the issue has been decided, it is time to focus on the project. The group canput together some ideas and then vote on their project in the next session. Thefollowing are just some examples that your group might do:

• Coffee Morning• Social Media Campaign• Create Hampers• Family Fun Day• Sponsored Walk/Run

Week 3

Pitch and Project

• Bucket collections• Car wash• Resources created (pop socket, leaflet)• Video• Bag Pack

8 Social Action Toolkit

Chosen Project:Another decision needs to be made and the group now need to vote on the projectthat they would like to focus on. Once the group decide on their project, they cancreate their checklist. For example, if the group were going to do a coffee morning,they might start to put together a list like the one below:

• Location • Audience • Promotion• Charity • Resources • Date and Time• Permissions • Health and Safety • Dietary Requirements• Funding • Roles on the Day • Set up and Layout

This is a simple checklist, but each aspect will need to be broken down so that thegroup can plan the project. If they were considering promotion, they would need tothink about the following:

• Social Media• Emails within college• Notice board• Creating and printing leaflets• Distribution• Advertising Cost

Each of these can be broken down and this will help the group plan a manageableproject as well as make sure they have considered everything they need to.

Now that the project has been decided upon and the checklist has been created, it istime to consider everyone’s roles and responsibilities within the group. Using flipchartand post-it notes, think about the tasks that the group need to do to make it happenand group them into themes and roles and agree role titles.

• Project Leader• Finance team• Communications and PR• Fundraising team• Community and organisation contact• Spokesperson• Co-Ordinator

Depending on the project, there will be different roles and responsibilities for thegroup to take part in. When the young people are considering the roles that they aregoing to take on, they should try to go outside of their comfort zone. However, not sofar out of their comfort zone that they are unable to take part and do not feel like theywill ever be able to make an impact. Depending on the size of the project, the groupcould team up on certain roles so that they are able to work together.

Week 4

Roles and Responsibilities

Social Action Toolkit 9

The topic has been chosen, the project has been decided and the roles and responsibili-ties have been delegated. It is now time to plan the project which can be done within thesessions, as well as outside if the young people are willing to work on it on their own time.Depending on the size of the project, it may take more than two sessions but this can beconsidered throughout. There may also be some tasks that can’t be done in the session.If you meet in the evening but need to co-ordinate with a business who works in the day,the group can prepare what is needed but carry out this action on their own time.

When planning and preparing, use flipchart paper and the checklist to consider the following:

WHO WHERE WHAT WHEN WHY HOW

Along with the checklist, this will help the group to focus on everything that should beconsidered for the project at this stage.

Top Tips:• Plan ahead• Adopt a positive outlook• Stay focussed• Seek help, advice and partnerships• Create a budget• Establish a timeline along with deadlines

Whilst every project is different, here are a few things to consider when the group isplanning:

• How will the project be funded? If the group need resources for their project (e.g.material for a hamper) then they could either arrange a bag pack or work with localbusinesses to see whether they would donate anything.

• Charity Champion: They are the people to contact within a big organisation for sup-plies. Some big companies would prefer to provide supplies rather than money andthe champion would be able to help with this.

• Do you need a permit for your project? If you are doing a street bucket collection, apolice permit will be required. If you are working with a charity, this can be donethrough them.

• Consider whether you need any other types of permission.• Make sure the project doesn’t conflict with the issue. If the project raises awareness

of the environment consider the eco-friendly ways your project can be carried out.If you are doing an awareness campaign for mental health, make sure the languageused is appropriate for the project.

• What equipment is needed to plan and carry out the project? If you need laptops,can you visit the library? If you need a camera, do you know someone who wouldprovide this for you?

Again, there are many things to consider when planning a project. Please contact us atyouth@volunteernow.co.uk for more support in this stage.

Week 5 and 6

Planning and Preparation

10 Social Action Toolkit

Today is the day. Whether the project is an event or resource, it is important to have adate that the project takes place or launches. Make sure the group have their checklist,so they know what is happening. There are a lot of things to consider on the day andthe following will help the group to focus:

• Revisit the WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHAT, WHY and HOW list.• The group know what time they need to meet.• A team meeting before the project would be helpful to run through any last

minute needs.• Social Media Coverage – is there a hashtag that can be used and promoted?• The group needs to be clear on their roles and responsibilities for the day.• Teamwork will be key to the project.• All the necessary equipment and resources are available for the group.• Is weather going to be an issue e.g. outdoor fun day? Is there a back-up in place?• Consent forms and permission slips if needed.• Charity banners or materials if partnered with them.• Meeting afterwards would help the group to recap briefly while it’s fresh in their

mind.

Depending on the project there are a variety of things to be considered so it isimportant that the group has a copy of the checklist and a running order if the projectis an event.

Week 7

Social Action Happens

Social Action Toolkit 11

Now that the social action project has taken place, it is time to evaluate and celebratethe impact the young people have had throughout their experience. By evaluating theirproject, from planning to implementing, the young people gain a better understanding ofthe skills they have developed and the difference they made.

Evaluation Stations:It is important for the group to reflect on their experience. This could be completedthrough posters, stations or whatever suits the group. Consider the following:

• Enjoy: What did you enjoy and not enjoy about your social action experience?

• Change: What would you change about your social action experience?

• Learn: What did you learn throughout your social action experience?

• Quote: Tell us about your volunteering and social action experience.

The WHY is so important to find out more about their answers. It is all beneficial in thereflection of their project.

Skills/Qualities Development:On a scale of one to ten, rate where you think your skills/qualities are now that theproject has come to an end. Hopefully you will have seen growth from week one.

• Teamwork • Dependable • Time Management

• Negotiation •Respectful • Organisation

• Confidence • Communication • Understanding

• Creativity • IT • Considerate

• Problem solving • Leadership

CelebrationOnce the project has been evaluated, it is important to recognise the young people fortheir commitment. This can be done through the Millennium Volunteer Programme anda Celebration Event suited to the young people.

Millennium Volunteer Programme: Recognising the commitment of young volunteerscompleting social action allows them to see the impact they have made throughoutseveral hours. If they fill out the booklet, they can see the skills they have developed, andthe experience gained. As the project was youth lead, they were able to see the powerwithin them to create positive change.

Celebration Event: A celebration event can take place in many ways, depending on theyoung people you work with and their interests. A few ideas could include:

• A BBQ and games• Family fun day• Pizza and games night• A trip somewhere

There are other ways to celebrate young people for their commitment, base it on theyoung people.

Week 8

Evaluation and Celebration

Volunteer Now works to promote, enhance and supportvolunteering across Northern Ireland. Volunteer Now is aboutconnecting with individuals and organisations to build healthy

communities and create positive change. We provide training,information, guidance and support to volunteer-involving

organisations on issues of good practice and policy regardingvolunteering, volunteer management, safeguarding

and governance.

For further information on Social Action projects and supportfor young volunteering contact the Volunteer Now youth team:

02890232020 or youth@volunteernow.co.uk

© All rights are reserved. The toolkit remains the property of Volunteer Now.Organisations are granted permission to reproduce or copy any handout

materials, only as required in the course of delivering the programme.With the exception of the above clause, no part of this file or materials therein

may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expresspermission of Volunteer Now.

Volunteer Now delivers services across Northern Ireland. A Charity (Inland Revenue) No. XT22896Company Limited by Guarantee No. NI602399. Registered in Northern Ireland.

© Volunteer Now 2020

Volunteer Now is kindly supported by the Education Authority for NI for thedelivery of youth work and support services throughout Northern Ireland.